Lesson 11 The Centurion s Servant

August 14, 2011 August s B.i.G. Idea We believe that God wants us to help others. August s Bible Verse Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it. 1 John 3:18, CEV August s B.i.G. Theme We Can Help Others Lesson 11 The Centurion s Servant Today s Bible Story Luke 7:1-10 Objectives Children will connect with the biblical story of the centurion asking Jesus to heal his servant. Children will realize that we can help others by asking for help and having faith. Luke writes about an officer in the Roman army and how his faith in Jesus led to the healing of a simple servant. It is a story about healing, about faith, and about the importance of caring for those around us. A centurion was a professional officer in the Roman army who commanded a century of between sixty and one hundred men. The position carried much responsibility and could prove hazardous in battle. Among the benefits of this prominent position was the luxury of living with one s family and household staff in the garrison. It is here where we meet our Roman centurion. The centurion had a servant whom he was concerned about. With all of the responsibilities the centurion carried, clearly this was a gentle and caring man. He has heard of Jesus healing power and knew that this was the one person who could help his servant. A Jewish elder is sent on his behalf to plead for Jesus to come to the garrison. Sending an elder from the temple is culturally sensitive. The centurion did not know Jesus personally. Jesus is Jewish, and the soldier sends appropriate representatives of Jesus own ethnic background to plead his case. Our soldier is also respectful of the teacher, as there is no demand made of Jesus, only a request. When Jesus was approached with the request to come, he went. As Jesus and the elder approached the house, the centurion observed them coming and ran out to meet them. The soldier s humble greeting touched Jesus so much that it became an object lesson for those nearby. Jesus commended the centurion s faith and stated that the servant was already healed. This is a story of faith. This Gentile soldier who made a living of war demonstrated faith that far exceeded what Jesus was finding in his ministry to the Jews. It amazed him. Pure faith still amazes those who encounter it. Nothing is more beautiful. Nothing is more powerful. It is this pure faith that is often found in children. Talk to your children about faith. Help them to put their faith into words and images. The journal activity they have been working on throughout the summer will help them to acquire new faith language. The centurion had faith, certainly, but he took his belief one step further and he acted. He sent an emissary and asked for Jesus help. Children, too, can learn to ask for what they need. This story can show them how to make a request with respect and humility. The rest is left to God. 132 Abingdon Press. www.ilivebig.com

Activity TimeSaver EcoFriendly Invite them in... (15 minutes) Coloring Page Faithful-Centurion Word Search Memory-Verse Match-Up Servant Bandage Puppets... Into the Bible (30 minutes) Jesus Heals the Centurion s Servant Healing Quiz Winding Through Capernaum Roman Helmet... Into Life (15 minutes) At The Station Yes, Please; No, Thank You Centurion March Closing Worship TimeSaver TimeSaver Activities that require little or no planning and only basic supplies. EcoFriendly EcoFriendly Activities that encourage responsible earth stewardship by providing options to use recycled or repurposed materials. DVD Summary: The Station It s showtime for The Station kids! They ve been working all year on Project Choice, and now it s time to present it to an audience. The kids want your kids to understand that we re all free to choose whatever we want right or wrong, good or bad. Ana points out that the Bible is filled with people who had to make choices, such as the soldier who chose to ask Jesus to heal his servant. August 14, 2011 One Big Room Abingdon Press. 133

August 14, 2011 The B.i.G. Idea We believe that God wants us to help others. Choose one or more activities to introduce your children to the Bible story. Coloring Page Invite them in... Supplies: Leader page 141, crayons Photocopy Centurion Coloring Page (Leader page 141) for each child. Do Give each child a copy of Centurion Coloring Page (Leader page 141). Say: The man on this page is a special kind of soldier. This kind of soldier is called a centurion. A centurion is like an officer; he is the person in charge. Invite the children to color the centurion. Display the coloring pages in the storytelling area. Live B.i.G. Everyone can have faith in God. Faithful-Centurion Word Search Supplies: Leader page 176, pencils Photocopy Leader page 176 for each child. Do Give each child a copy of Faithful-Centurion Word Search (Leader page 176). Say: Today we will learn about the faith of a soldier. On this page, you will find many words that you will hear in our story of the centurion. See how many of these words you can find in the puzzle. Allow the children time to complete the word search. Display the completed puzzles in the storytelling area. Live B.i.G. The Bible holds many stories about healing. 134 Abingdon Press. www.ilivebig.com

Memory-Verse Match-Up Supplies: construction paper, markers, tape or wall gum, optional: bulletin board and tacks or chalkboard Write each word of this month s Bible verse on a piece of construction paper, including the reference: Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it (1 John 3:18, CEV). Do Arrange the Bible verse papers in order on a wall, bulletin board, or chalkboard. Say the memory verse several times with the children. Ask the children to turn their backs. Rearrange several words and invite the children to face the verse again. Say: Several of these words are out of order. Can you get them back in the order they belong? Repeat this several times, having the children put the verse back in order each time. After the children are able to easily put the verse back in order, begin to remove several words completely. Have the children tell you the words that are missing. Live B.i.G. I can remember God s Word. Servant Bandage Puppets Supplies: adhesive bandages, empty paper towel tubes, craft sticks, glue, scissors, construction paper, wiggle eyes, chenille stems, yarn, bits of fabric Do Have the children use the supplies to decorate the paper towel tubes to look like the centurion s servant. Have the children apply adhesive bandages all over the puppet to make it look sick. Have them glue the craft stick to the inside bottom edge of the puppet to become a handle. Have the children save their puppets to use with the Bible story. Live B.i.G. God heals those who are sick. We can help people who need healing by taking care of them. August 14, 2011 One Big Room Abingdon Press. 135

August 14, 2011 The B.i.G. Idea We believe that God wants us to help others. Choose one or more activities to immerse your children in the Bible story. Jesus Heals the Centurion s Servant Supplies: Bibles, Leader page 140, Servant Bandage Puppets made previously (page 135)... Into the Bible Do Say: We will hear a story today about a faithful man and his servant. Show the children how to find Luke 7:1-10 in the Bible. Invite a skilled reader to read the passage from the Bible. Pass out Jesus Heals the Centurion s Servant (Leader page 140). Say: Use your Servant Puppets to act out the story as I retell it. Read the story from the handout, pausing to allow for the children to use their puppets as directed. Live B.i.G. Jesus cares about everyone. When Jesus makes a promise, it comes true. Healing Quiz Supplies: Bibles, Leader page 142, pencils Photocopy Healing Quiz (Leader page 142) for each child. Do Say: I have a quiz for you so you can see how well you have learned the Bible story. You may use your Bibles to find the answers. Allow the children time to finish the quiz and to do the matching activity at the bottom of the page (Leader page 142). Go over their answers with them after they have finished. Live B.i.G. We can learn from the Bible and remember its stories. 136 Abingdon Press. www.ilivebig.com

Winding Through Capernaum Supplies: Leader page 143, crayons Photocopy Winding Through Capernaum (Leader page 143) for each child. Do Say: Jesus had to find his way through Capernaum so he could heal the servant. See if you can show Jesus the way to the centurion s house. If someone gets stuck, the others can help. Allow the children time to finish the puzzle. Live B.i.G. God gave us good eyes to see our way through a maze. We can help others find their way too. Roman Helmet Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television, one plastic milk jug per child, construction paper, scissors, aluminum foil, stapler & staples, masking tape, pencils Cut the top (handle and spout end) off the clean empty milk jugs. Save the leftover pieces to use for chin straps. Preview the August 14 Demonstration on the August Teacher Tips (DVD) to make a Roman Helmet. Do Give each child a prepared milk jug. Make sure the opening fits over the child s head. Use the leftover pieces of plastic to fashion chin straps. Chin straps can be taped together if there is not a large enough piece from the leftover plastic. Staple the chin strap to the helmet. Have the children choose a color of construction paper to make a plume for their helmet. Have each child place the construction paper in front of him or her so the rectangle is wide. Draw a straight line two-thirds of the way down the construction paper. Have the children cut the construction paper to the line. Roll the construction paper tightly and staple in place. This forms the plume. Tape the plume firmly to the top of the helmet. Have the children cover the entire helmet in aluminum foil. Say: The centurion was a soldier. In addition to being a soldier, he was a commander. This commander had great faith in Jesus to heal his servant. Live B.i.G. Great people have great faith in God. August 14, 2011 One Big Room Abingdon Press. 137

August 14, 2011 The B.i.G. Idea We believe that God wants us to help others. Choose one or more activities to connect your children s lives to the Bible story. At The Station Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television Preview The Station (DVD). Do Say: Let s visit The Station and see what happens today. Play The Station (DVD). Ask: What did you think of the kids performance at The Station? What did they mean by the power of one? (One person can make a big difference in the lives of others.) Can you name some things one person can do that might make a difference?... Into Life Live B.i.G. We are each one person, and one person can make a difference. Sometimes small acts of kindness make others feel God s love. Yes, Please; No, Thank You Find an open space for the children to run. Do Have each child find a partner. Say: Showing kindness to one another is one way we show we care about others. Sometimes we show kindness with our words. When I say Yes, please, run quickly toward you partner. When I say No, thank you, run quickly away from your partner. Say the two phrases quickly, switching back and forth. Live B.i.G. Practicing good manners is one way to show kindness toward others. 138 Abingdon Press. www.ilivebig.com

Centurion March Supplies: DVD, DVD player, television, Roman Helmets made earlier (page 137) Preview The B.I.G. Sound (DVD). Do Say: Roman soldiers had to march everywhere they went. With a little marching music, we can march like the soldiers. Invite the children to wear their Roman Helmets that they made earlier (see page 137). Play The B.I.G. Sound (DVD) and march around the room, ending up in front of the television. Have the children remove their helmets. Say: Let s sing the song with the kids at The Station. Play The B.I.G. Sound again (DVD). Live B.i.G. We can praise God with our voices. Closing Worship Supplies: construction paper, crayons, colored pencils, markers, scissors, glue, small stickers Do Invite each child to choose one piece of construction paper. Say: Today we learned about a Roman officer called a centurion and his concern for his servant who was very sick. The centurion asked Jesus to come and heal his servant. He knew that if Jesus would just speak the words, the servant would get better. It was this strong belief that formed his faith. Think about your faith. On this paper, you may write a poem or story about how you believe in God. You might write a prayer to God, or you may want to draw a picture of an altar or of a time when you chose to have faith in Jesus. Provide the students with the supplies listed above and allow them to interpret today s lesson. Save the journal pages until the last day of this month when you will bind them together to take home. (Visitors may wish to take their pages home today.) Live B.i.G. God is always with us. August 14, 2011 One Big Room Abingdon Press. 139

Jesus Heals the Centurion s Servant (Based on Luke 7:1-10.) Read the following story and use your Servant Bandage Puppets to act out what s happening with the servant. A very long time ago, Jesus was walking toward the town of Capernaum. At the same time, a beloved servant became very sick and was ready to die. (Servant puppets lie down.) The servant s master was a wealthy centurion, which is a commanding officer in the Roman army. The centurion sat beside the servant s bed, feeling totally helpless, not knowing what to do. (Servant puppets cough.) News spread through the streets: Jesus is here! Jesus who heals the sick has come! The centurion heard that a great healer had come to Capernaum. The centurion knew that Jesus was the only one who could heal his dying servant, so he sent some elders from the synagogue to ask Jesus to come and heal the suffering man. (Servant puppets shudder.) The elders soon found Jesus. They said, If anyone deserves your help, it is this man. He loves the Jews, and he even paid to build us a new synagogue. Jesus felt convinced that he deserved help and said, I will come and heal his servant. He then followed the elders through the streets as they led Jesus to the centurion s home. (Servant puppets moan.) Not far from the home, friends of the centurion brought Jesus a message from the centurion. Sir, do not trouble yourself to come to my home, for I am unworthy for you to enter under my roof. Just say the word, and I know my dear servant will be healed. I know how it is, for I give and receive orders as well. All I have to say is Go! and my soldiers go, or Come! and they come; and to my servant, Do this or that, and he does it. So if you just say, Be healed, my servant will be made well. (Servant puppets perk up.) When Jesus heard those words, he was totally amazed at the centurion s faith. He turned to the crowd behind him: Never among all the Jews in Israel have I met a man with faith like this. As soon as Jesus spoke the words, the servant was healed. (Servant puppets dance.) 140 Abingdon Press. www.ilivebig.com

Centurion Coloring Page August 14, 2011 One Big Room Abingdon Press. 141

Healing Quiz TRUE OR FALSE Circle whether each statement is true or false. Look up the Bible verse hint for help, if you need it. 1. The centurion s mother was very sick and ready to die. T F Hint: Luke 7:2 2. The centurion s children went to find Jesus. T F Hint: Luke 7:3 3. The elders told Jesus the centurion deserved help. T F Hint: Luke 7:4-5 4. Jesus went to the centurion s house. T F Hint: Luke 7:6 3. The centurion did not think he was worthy of Jesus. T F Hint: Luke 7:6 6. The centurion told Jesus just to say the word, and T F his servant would be healed. Hint: Luke 7:7 MATCHING Match each character from the Bible story with his or her role in the story. Centurion Healer Servant Amazed learners Elder Soldier Jesus Jewish Leader Crowd sick 142 Abingdon Press. www.ilivebig.com

Winding Through Capernaum August 14, 2011 One Big Room Abingdon Press. 143